Almost 2kg of Semtex found in Belfast flat

Around 1.5 kilos of suspected Semtex have been found in a flat in Belfast's New Lodge.

The explosives were uncovered in Maeve House in the New Lodge area on Monday after a member of the public contacted the police.

Martin McGuinness told the BBC he was "hugely relieved and delighted that these explosives have been recovered and made safe".

He added: "I'm disappointed but not surprised that there are still people within our society who believe that they have the right to attempt to point us all back to the past through attempts to kill people."

Back in May, 2014, 2.5 kilos of explosives were found in the same block of flats.

Army bomb disposal operatives investigated the scene before removing the explosives.

Chief Superintendent Chris Noble said: “These items will now be subject to a detailed forensic examination. Until this has been completed, it is too early to link these items to any particular group. Our investigations are currently ongoing and we are following a number of lines of enquiry.

“This was a significant recovery and we want to make sure that we gather every single piece of available information to assist us with our inquiries.

“We are appealing to the public to assist us and continue working with us, and give us any information they have about any suspicious activity in this area which might assist our investigation.

“This seizure demonstrates that when people provide us with information, we will act on it to ensure everyone in our community is kept safe.

“We recognise the inconvenience this operation may have caused to the community yesterday but I hope people will understand the need to put public safety first.”